6 July 2008

ON JUNE 24, I forgot the items I bought from the duty-free shop in a lounge at Dubai International Airport. While the staff of Emirates made all attempts to retrieve the same, it was too late since the flight was ready. On July 1 when I was travelling again, the lounge staff confirmed that the items had been handed over to the airport police. On July 4, the police returned the items to me. Thank you, Dubai Police and Emirates staff. This would not happen easily at many airports around the world.

6 July 2008


WHEN Israel kills Palestinians, which happens generally almost every single day with two to six victims on an average, it is carrying out genocide in slow motion. Israel has no intention to give the Palestinians their land. It is doing to Palestinians what America did to Red Indians — in other words, totally eliminate the Palestinians. Your newspaper carries news reports of such killings in inside pages and that too in a small size, whatever be the number of Palestinian victims because they were so-called militants and were killed by Israel in self-defence.
Your newspaper is either copying the BBC and other foreign agencies or just writing what Israel is asking you to write.

On July 3, your paper carried a report in the front page saying three Israelis were killed by the Palestinians. So much importance to three Israelis! I heard the same on BBC channel which it carried as the main item of its 20-minute news programme.

If we, Muslims, are so afraid, then we deserve to get killed. We are afraid even to raise our voice against this injustice or raise objection at the United Nations. Then, why do we expect any better treatment from the Israelis?

6 July 2008

WITH reference to your editorial on July 4, I would like to say you are very wrong in stating that the majority of the Pakistanis consider President Pervez Musharraf as the main cause of the problems facing the country. Richard Boucher was right in stating that the politicians should concentrate on the main serious problems facing the country. Only some of the politicians are solely focusing on removing Musharraf and restoring a handful of judges. These politicians have their personal vindictive agendas and their axe to grind and do not care what happens to the country or the people.

The majority want all issues like shortages of food and power, terrorism, fundamentalism, law and order and unemployment tackled with seriousness and utmost urgency. Removing Musharraf and restoring judges will not solve these pressing problems. People know and realise that this is a diversionary tactic adopted by some of the politicians who have been the main cause of the mess Pakistan is in today. This type of tactic will not hold water for very long as the masses are fed up and want action and solutions and not more problems.

6 July 2008

THIS refers to the editorial "Pakistan and US, more divided than ever" on July 4. The US has always considered that other than it, all countries of the world are accountable for their good or bad decisions but when it comes to the so-called war on terror, the US can't tolerate any criticism because it's the question of its citizens' security. It must be appreciated that, after all, they do care about their citizens, but what about the citizens of other countries? Don't they have any rights? In the last eight years, the so-called war on terror has given nothing to our country except suicide attacks and the gifts of dozens of bodies everyday.

As far as the US demand to "do more" is concerned, I must say that the US need not worry about Pakistan's cooperation. It'll be there whenever the US will need it. After all, our country's decisions are never made in parliament.

At last, I strongly disagree with the editorial which called the two countries as traditional friends. The US had never been and will never be a friend of Pakistan or Pakistanis but, yes, it was and it'll always be a friend of our army's dictators.

6 July 2008

ON WHAT basis did a CPM leader observed that Muslims are against the Indo-US nuclear deal? What survey has Mayawati, the BSP supremo, conducted to assure herself that Muslims of India do not approve of the deal? Why should anyone think that Muslim community is a monolith and thinks like one just because it is one in asserting that there is only one God and that Muhammad (p.u.b.h.) is His Prophet.

The Indian Muslim is as sure or unsure of the nuclear deal being in national interest as anybody else. An average Muslim understands the intricacies of the deal only as much as an average Indian and is therefore in no position to form an opinion on it any better than the rest.

In fact, as of today, one wonders if an average Indian on the street understands the deal enough to form his own opinion. Leave alone an average Muslim whom Justice Rajinder Sachar has certified as the least educated and therefore is the least knowledgeable.

We have noticed that Manmohan Singh had to dispatch National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan to give a lesson or two to the Samajwadi Party’s Amar Singh on the intricacies of the deal. And now the leaders of the UNPA, the third front, are soliciting the assistance of an expert to understand the prime minister's clarifications on the deal.

The only pertinently significant statement on Muslim opinion on the deal is from Asaduddin Owaisi, a member of parliament. He has said, “Political parties opposed to the Indo-US nuclear deal are spreading canards that Muslims are also against the deal. The Muslims are not against the nuclear deal. If the deal is good for the country, it is good for the Muslims of the country as well.”